Monday 29 October 2018

Sister's Choice

Kevin at Fabric Focus in Edinburgh has taught this quilt or block, Sister's Choice as a class, here it is in Autumnal coloured fabrics on a cream background. I quilted it with a design named Naysay Feathers and a cream thread.
Why not visit Kevin's website here to book a class or see other exciting offers in Kevin's Edinburgh shop.




Margaret's pieced and appliqued quilt was a big one, fits a double bed just right, I quilted it with cream thread and a design named 'A Tisket a Tasket'.



Pam pieced this log cabin design in Scottish themed fabrics from a kit bought at Fabric Focus in Edinburgh. I quilted it with a lovely Thistle design that finished it off to perfection. 
This quilt has already been gifted to a family member.




Mary's lovely summery quilt is a dissected star design. I quilted it with a daisy design and a buttery yellow thread, this one is a gift for a family member, the second photograph is more true to the colour.





Ishbel has made another lovely, perfectly pieced quilt in greys and yellows, quilted with a design named Precious Pearls and an off white thread...








Frances asked me to quilt two lovely 'rail fence' quilts, the fabrics are again from that lovely selection of Scottish themed fabrics bought from Fabric Focus, I used a digitised design of Thistles that looks wonderful with these lovely fabrics and a lilac thread. These two quilts have already been sent to family members in New Zealand.




Then, hot on the heals of the twin quilts was another using the same Scottish themed fabrics in a log cabin design. Frances requested the thistles design for this one too. This quilt has already gone to family members in the USA



Next blog post will be a lovely applique quilt....

Sunday 21 October 2018

A tempting trio...

Lisa's lovely Log Cabin quilt is paper pieced, this gives lovely precise pressed seams on the back of the quilt top, this helps give a lovely flat finish to the quilting. Unfortunately I was remiss to get a full photograph of the quilt but did manage to get a couple of close ups and a short video. The pantograph or edge to edge design is Feather Flourish quilted with a dark blue thread to match the border and the backing fabric.

This is a digitised design, completed using my computerised system.





Here is a short video...click the arrow below....



This second quilt is also one of Lisa's, it's double sided and that in it's self is quite daunting for the longarmer. Matching up the front and back so the quilting gives a pleasing effect on both sides is a little complicated and doesn't always work as we would expect. There is lots of pinning involved and the process can look really awkward, the layers shift when rolled, the pins cause the top to look puckered, all we can do is hope that it all turns out OK in the end. 

On this occasion the quilt turned out very well, not 100% perfect but I would say 90%., I'm happy with that.
Quilted using ruler work for the curved crosshatching and hand guided freemotion quilting done by me for the flowing feathers. 






Sandra's lovely sampler quilt is a gift for her Granddaughter, there is lots of pieced patchwork blocks and also appliqued flowers and leaves. I quilted it with a digitised design named Midsummer which has hidden moons, stars, hearts and flowers.






Wednesday 10 October 2018

Pantographs, border to border, edge to edge....

Pantographs, border to border, edge to edge, call them what you will, the next few quilts are quilted using digitised quilting patterns on my longarm's computerise quilting system....

Jane's quilts always have fabrics and colours reminiscent of France, this one is no exception, I quilted it with a design named Feather Flourish...



Catherine's simple quilt top is destined to be washed, cuddled and dragged around by her young Son, I quilted it with dinosaurs, it backed with fleece and also has a light wadding so will be lovely and comforting.....



Pam sent me a rail fence quilt with that lovely vintage green as a background fabric, I quilted it with Woodsprite, it's backed  with a lovely lilac solid.....




 This lovely colourful quilt pieced by Fiona is destined as a gift for a Son leaving home or actually finishing Uni and setting up a first home, it's bright and cheery and quilted with 'Waterdrops!'




 And lastly a simple baby quilt pieced by Frances from half square triangle in subtle green and white fabrics and quilted with cute little teddy bears, lovely.....




Pieces of Blackpool.....

My good friend Anna in Blackpool sent me a few quilts a while ago, I was expecting two, five arrived. Although they weren't bed size quilts, Anna requested that I give them a full binding treatment, I have to say that I don't do that for just anybody these days. I only do a half binding treatment for my customers except in exceptional circumstances, this must have been one of them.

Look closely at this Christmas quilt, it has a pieced top already bordered with the red plant pot inserted in the bottom seam. I quilted it then steamed the plant pot in place before then placing the stars and bow ready to be fused in place with a steam iron.
I then put the quilt back on the longarm and used the longarm to do a manual button hole stitch around all of the fused pieces. Then I did a full binding treatment, it's all now ready for Christmas....





While the Christmas quilt was still on the frame I attached two smaller quilt tops (see above), onto the same backing fabric, this saved me having to load each one onto the frame separately, I then bound these two quilts too. Anna was surprise to have these three quilts hand delivered at Festival of Quilt in August.

Just last week I loaded the last two small quilts, gave them a light custom quilt job and yes you've guessed it after trimming them up I added a full binding treatment to these two quilts too...





I'll be shipping the last two quilts off to Blackpool very soon Anna....